| Maryland Art Place is proud to present, YOU EFF OH, a group show that addresses what artists think about extraterrestrial phenomena and how this topic influences, or may be realized in their work. The exhibition will take place at MAP running from September 22 through November 19. Works ranging in media and addressing all that happens in the sky have had an effect on our creativity. DESCRIPTION: What’s out there? – That common question we ask ourselves as we gaze into the night sky. Are we alone? Is it all just uninhabitable rocks in the sky, dusty particles, and shiny stars? H.G. Wells wrote War of the Worlds in 1898 and not until a sleepy Friday in June of 2021, as Covid continued to rattle the world, did the US intelligence community quietly release a report on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) aka UFOs.Until 2019, when the US Navy started a program to track unidentified flying objects, there had been no formalized way to track these sightings yet we all imagine they occur. In the 2021 report, there were clearly safety concerns, though some discernment as to whether the 144 recorded incidents were alien or possibly advanced technology from Russia or China. (Note: The idea of UFOs really started to take shape in 1947 when pilot Kenneth Arnold sighted a series of nine oddly shaped aircraft flying in tandem in the sky). This past May 2022 the House Intelligence Committee held its first hearing on UFOs in half a century, and in June 2022 it was announced that the government plans to release another unclassified report about what it has collected about UAPs. Whether legitimate or not, our fascination with alien life and otherworldly places has permeated our culture. We love to consume the possibility. From blockbuster hits such as Closer Encounters and ET to kitschy flicks like Mars Attacks, we just can’t get enough. (References: CNN Politics, NPR, and CBS News)You can check out the show during our gallery hours, Tuesday – Saturday between the hours of 12 to 4 pm. Please contact caitlin@mdartplace.org with any questions. |